Fifty-two Belarusian political prisoners, including Larysa Shchyrakova, were released and transferred to Lithuania in September as part of an agreement between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and former US President Donald Trump. This release followed earlier pardons in June and July. The former prisoners have since shared accounts of their time in Belarusian detention, describing conditions such as solitary confinement and alleged psychological pressure.
Prisoner Release and Aftermath
Larysa Shchyrakova, jailed in 2022 for "extremism" and "discrediting" Belarus, was among the 52 political prisoners bused across the border from Belarus to Lithuania in September. She stated that she would have preferred to complete her sentence and return home. During her three years in prison, she missed her mother's funeral and is now unable to visit her grave. Upon release, Shchyrakova left behind her son, home, dog, and possessions. Like many others released in this group, she lacks official documents and faces potential arrest if she returns to Belarus. She described her situation by stating, "You lose everything overnight. It's a traumatic thought that at 52, you're essentially homeless."
The release was part of an agreement aimed at relaxing sanctions, negotiated between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and former US President Donald Trump.
Opposition politician Mikola Statkevich reportedly exited the bus before it left Belarus and refused to cross the border. His current whereabouts are unknown, and it is believed he was returned to prison.
Accounts of Imprisonment
Mikalai Dziadok, a 37-year-old activist, spent five years in prison. He was marked with a yellow tag, a designation initially used for prisoners at risk of suicide or escape, but which for political prisoners like Dziadok signified being "prone to extremism" and resulted in tighter control and stricter treatment.
Dziadok recounted periods of solitary confinement where, he claims, prisoners in adjacent cells would shout insults and threats. "They banged their bowls against the wall for hours, day and night. They wouldn't let me sleep; it was impossible to read, write, or even think," he stated. Dziadok expressed his belief that these actions were directed by guards, stating that authorities aimed to "traumatise him as much as possible so that he could not take part in political activity in the future."
Human rights groups indicate that solitary confinement is commonly employed in Belarus as a punishment for minor infractions by political prisoners, such as not greeting guards with sufficient volume. This practice is viewed by these groups as a method for authorities to exert psychological pressure on inmates. Dzmitry Kuchuk, another political prisoner released in September, reported that during his solitary confinement, guards would torment him with false claims about his mother's death or imminent release.
Yevgeny Merkis, a colleague of Larysa Shchyrakova who was also released in September, described solitary cells as tiny and cold. "The floor is tiled, the walls are cold, and in the winter, if the temperature is above -5C, they will open the window during the day," Merkis told the BBC. He added, "You have a special uniform, and you can't wear anything underneath it, no sweater, everything is taken away. At night, they unfold a bunk for you. It's just a wooden board with metal edges." Mikalai Dziadok said he learned to perform exercises at night to keep warm, stating his "personal best is 300 push-ups and the same number of sit-ups in one night."
The BBC sought comment from the Belarusian interior ministry regarding these allegations but has not received a response.
Acts of Solidarity
Larysa Shchyrakova did not experience solitary confinement and was permitted walks in the prison yard. Yevgeny Merkis, from his cell, managed to send her an anonymous message. He scratched the word "trymaysya" (Belarusian for "hold on") on the bottom of a food bowl. Shchyrakova had previously seen prisoner scribblings on library books or an exercise yard bench. She observed that this message was in Belarusian, which led her to believe it was from a political prisoner, as they often avoid using Russian. After finishing her meal, she saw her name scrawled on the bowl, followed by "hold on." She described this message as inspiring, stating, "There was something almost mystical about it."
Upon arriving in Lithuania, Larysa Shchyrakova had no possessions but has since received assistance from fellow expatriates. Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya welcomed the freed political prisoners upon their arrival in Lithuania.
Diplomatic Context
The release of the 52 political prisoners in September was part of a series of pardons following negotiations between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and former US President Donald Trump. In June, opposition politician Sergei Tikhanovsky, husband of presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was released, followed by another 16 individuals in July.
Donald Trump later referred to Lukashenko as "the highly respected president." This comment followed a period where Lukashenko's declared victory in the 2020 elections was rejected as "fraudulent" by the US, EU, UK, and Canada.